


Only My Friends Call Me Lambkins

by countingpaths



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-25 18:29:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20728796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/countingpaths/pseuds/countingpaths
Summary: Black Sheep didn’t have a soulmate. For as long as she could remember, her whole life on VILE Isle, her wrist had been bare of delicate white script.Graham had puzzled over the line on his wrist for as long as he could remember. The delicate white script, so small that he squinted to make out the words, read only my friends call me lambkins.





	Only My Friends Call Me Lambkins

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I wrote this in February based on a prompt from the red crackle discord group I'm in. I'm posting it now to celebrate the new trailer and Graham's return!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!

Black Sheep didn’t have a soulmate. For as long as she could remember, her whole life on VILE Isle, her wrist had been bare of delicate white script. She had never thought it was that strange, though- none of the professors had soulmate words either. It wasn’t until she was old enough to notice the wrists of new recruits, skin marred by script barely visible on some, that she’d asked Coach Brunt about her own lack of. Coach told Black Sheep that she was lucky- _A good thief doesn’t wanna be tied down, do they? That’s why we fix up the recruits and erase theirs. You and I are lucky though- ain’t never had nothin’ to worry about._ Black Sheep was satisfied with this response. She enjoyed seeing the recruit’s skin wiped clean by Dr. Bellum’s machine during orientation. They would grin and show her their wrists, blank as if nothing had ever been there at all. 

\--

Graham had puzzled over the line on his wrist for as long as he could remember. The delicate white script, so small that he squinted to make out the words, read only my friends call me lambkins. Interesting first impression on his soulmate’s part. Or, Lambkins’ part, he supposed. For awhile he’d grown quite fond of her, whoever she was. Lambkins,. 

After graduating, he’d done community college for a semester before beginning his electrician’s apprenticeship- at the Sydney Opera House, no less. One night, a year into his apprenticeship, Graham was lying awake in bed- or, on a mattress on the floor of his small apartment- when a light bulb went off. He could make a far better living stealing from the wealthy theatre-goers. And how easy it would be, under the cover of darkness. Two weeks later his scheme unfolded perfectly. Two months later and he was addicted. When Graham was approached by a strange, green-haired woman and invited to attend an academy for _thieves_, of all things, he agreed immediately. 

He was a bit angry, though. Angry at Lambkins. She’d never shown up and now her chance was gone. He couldn’t imagine VILE operatives often met civilians and abandoned the organization to live happy, peaceful lives. He didn’t know if he’d even want that. All Graham knew was that Lambkins was no longer his future- VILE was. 

\----

The morning of orientation, Black Sheep was ecstatic. She practiced a stoic expression, of course, as she changed into her brand new beige shirt and pants and VILE-green sneakers. She needed to look tough in front of the recruits, especially because she was younger than them. When they were finally assembled and herded to Dr. Bellum’s lab, however, it didn’t seem like that’d be too much of a challenge. 

She watched from the side with a smirk as the other recruits had their soulmate words removed. The fit frenchman presented his wrist with a bored expression. The platinum blonde sneered as hers was removed. When it was the Australian’s turn, he hesitated and reread the line carefully, almost longingly. Then Dr. Bellum pulled his wrist under the lazer.

Black Sheep raised an eyebrow at this display. He was weak and might not even survive the program. 

The quiet ginger went without ceremony but the spanish man reread his briefly before turning his hand over for the procedure. Once everyone’s wrists were spotless, the recruits were escorted to the auditorium where Coach Brunt waited to give the orientation speech. Black Sheep slipped into the back row, not wanting to seem overeager.

\--

Graham rubbed his wrist softly as he took a seat near the back of the auditorium. It was shocking to see his skin bare, _lambkins_ gone forever. It felt a bit sad, even. While he’d given up on finding her when he agreed to come to this island, it now felt real. He looked away from his wrist when Coach Brunt stepped up to the podium and leaned back, propping his elbows up on the seats. He was lost in thought until the giant woman crushed a phone in one fist- they really weren’t messing around here. 

“Rule number two,” Brunt said menacingly. “First names only until you get assigned your code name. In’t that right, Lambkins?”

Graham’s eyebrows shot towards his hairline. Brunt seemed to be looking at him. He whipped around, eyes locking on the girl sitting behind him. She was shrinking into her seat, grimacing in embarrassment. Short red hair, gray eyes, tan skin…

“_Lambkins?_” he choked out, eyes wide.

Her face transformed into defiance and she grabbed his collar, standing up and dragging Graham halfway over his seat. 

“Woah!” he gasped.

“Only my friends call me Lambkins. My code name’s _Black Sheep_. Do you understand?”

He gaped at her, unable to respond. This… this couldn’t be happening. _Lambkins?_ Was _here?_ This girl was- was _his_ Lambkins?

“_Nod_ if you understand,” she hissed, choking him with his collar.

Graham nodded frantically and she released him. He fell back into his seat and stared at the girl in astonishment for a moment, her glaring back, until Coach Brunt cleared her throat. The rest of orientation was a blur, and he tried to keep his eyes on- on _Lambkins_. Black Sheep. Whoever she was.

\--

Black Sheep felt the Australian’s eyes on her throughout orientation. Fine, he wanted more? He’d get more. The blonde girl was already giving her nasty looks. Black Sheep didn’t have a problem re-establishing her place in the academy’s foodchain. 

When the recruits were released to get their bearings on campus, Black Sheep returned to the dormitory and set up her nesting dolls up on the table next to her bed. The only one who’d gone back with her was the weird quiet guy. He was sitting on his bed, unpacking a small bag. She didn’t think he’d be a problem.

She watched carefully as recruits began filing in, until finally the Australian arrived last in their unit. 

“_You,_” She growled. His gaze shifted away from her, avoiding eye contact.

His response was interrupted by the platinum blonde, Sheena, teasing the nesting dolls. Black Sheep glared at _Graham_\- as he’d been called during role- a look that promised she wasn’t done with him yet, and turned to handle miss sticky paws. 

\--

Graham helped Black Sheep with her Sheena-problem, attempting to get on her good side. Unfortunately, she didn’t appear to have a good side. 

“Watch it,” She’d hissed when he’d bumped into her as the recruits filed out of the communal bathroom to their uncomfortable beds. He was acutely aware that his was right across the row from hers. 

As Graham lay in bed that night, he tried without success to discern her breathing from the others’. A thousand thoughts were racing through his mind. This was really happening. This fiery, dangerous girl, who couldn’t be more than eighteen years old, was _his Lambkins_. He didn’t know how he’d ever expected to meet her, but it definitely wasn’t at VILE Academy. And now… now he didn’t even have the soulmate words on his wrist to show her. It was cruel.

His thoughts were interrupted by the soft creaking of someone getting out of bed. Graham peeked one eye open only to see Black Sheep sneak with silent feet from the room. As soon as she was gone he hopped up as quietly as he could (though not half as quietly as Black Sheep) and followed her. He checked the hallway and made sure she had turned the corner before continuing. After turning two more corners, he realized he had lost her. Silently cursing, he turned around to retrace his steps through the labyrinthine hallways and yelped in surprise. 

“_Shh_,” the redhead hissed. 

“_Lam- Black Sheep?_” he whispered in shock, checking behind him and then back at her. “How did you-?” 

“I’ve been following you since two turns ago, doofus. You aren’t going to survive training.” Her arms were crossed and she tapped her fingers. “Why were you following me?”

“I- Why did you leave the room?” he whispered.

“None of your business, _Graham_. Go back to bed.” She brushed past him and Graham blinked before shaking his head and grabbing her wrist.

“Hey-!” she yelped. He flipped her arm over, checking her wrist. It was bare.

“But they didn’t erase your words today,” he said accusingly.

“Yeah, because I don’t _have_ them,” she said, yanking her arm from his grasp.

“That’s not possible,” Graham retorted.

She squinted at him. “Yes it is. I don’t have a soulmate.”

“I’m afraid you’re wrong, _Lambkins_,” he grinned wryly at her. “You see, until today, I had the words ‘_only my friends call me lambkins_’ scrawled in pretty white script across my wrist.”

Her expression was at first shocked, then became angry and indignant. “You’re lying. That’s not right.”

“I think I know the words I’ve been waiting for nineteen years when I hear them,” he retorted. Her face twisted into an expression he couldn’t name. Maybe doubt, or fear. She shook her head violently, causing her short hair to fly about like fire.

“_No_.”

“Calm down, Lambkins, I’m- I’m not trying to upset you.” Graham tried to put his hand on her shoulder but she smacked it away.

“You’re wrong. I’ve never had them. And don’t call me Lambkins,” she hissed before turning and escaping down the hall. He watched her disappear and didn’t attempt to follow, knowing he couldn’t keep up. When she was long gone he gave his wrist one last sad look before attempting to navigate back to the room.

\--

“Player, I’m so freaked out. I don’t know what to do! He’s got to be lying!” Black Sheep practically shouted into the phone. She was sitting on the beach, where no one would hear her anyway. 

“_I don’t know, Black Sheep. That sounds pretty weird. You didn’t get to see his wrist?_” The voice of her friend came through her headphones, muffled by the connection.

“He- uh…” She didn’t know how to explain orientation to Player. Removing people’s soulmate words was probably not standard anywhere else. “We get them removed here. For training. Except me- you know I’ve never had them!”

“_Removing soulmate marks? I really don’t wanna know what kind of school you go to_,” Player responded. “_Well… Maybe he’s telling the truth. Maybe his wrist did say that._”

“But… but mine doesn’t say anything at all! What does that mean?”

“_I’ve never heard of anyone not having soulmate words. Maybe it’s a mutation or something. Maybe you’re supposed to have his words on your wrist,_” Player suggested.

“What if… What if I’m his soulmate but he’s not mine?” she whispered.

“_... I guess it could be that, too,_” he admitted. 

\--

The next morning Graham woke early, his body confused by the time change and his late night. He kept his eyes shut, replaying the events of the previous night. Black Sheep’s reaction was not exactly what he’d been hoping for. When he heard her get up he sat up in bed. She eyed him cautiously.

“Listen, about last night,” he whispered.

“I’m not your-”

“I know, I know. It’s fine. Let’s start over, like it never happened,” he suggested.

She squinted at him. After a moment she asked, “What do you mean?”

“Uh, Black Sheep, was it? The name’s Graham,” he grinned hopefully at her.

She smiled tentatively back.

\----

Two days after her encounter with Gray on the train, Carmen woke to find words scrawled on her wrist. Her first reaction was a scream. When Ivy and Zack burst into her room in their hotel suite, she blamed a nightmare. Then she called Player. 

\-- 

When Graham woke up, he felt like he’d been asleep for a year. Which as the doctor’s explained, was close. He’d had some sort of accident while working at the opera house, and had been in the hospital for awhile. There was more than a year of his life that he could no longer remember. But that wasn’t the most shocking discovery Graham had upon awakening. His wrist, which he could distinctly recall having had the phrase _only my friends call me lambkins_ written on it in white his whole life, had changed. The doctors said maybe that memory was fried, but he knew better. He’d spent too long waiting for ‘Lambkins’ to give up on her now. He _knew_ she was the one.

\--

_“You there!”_


End file.
